All the Details on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Reported Contract With Dodgers
The Dodgers landed their big target late Thursday night, signing Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract. After landing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers wasted no time going after one of the most coveted free agents of all time.
Yamamoto’s contract looks very different from the one Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, though. Ohtani’s deferrals allowed this signing to happen, and they now pair him up with one of the better pitchers in the world.
Here is the breakdown of Yamamoto’s reported contract with the Dodgers:
- No deferrals
- Two opt-outs in the deal, after the 2029 and 2031 seasons
- Yamamoto gets a $50 million signing bonus
In addition to what the Dodgers will be paying Yamamoto, they also will be paying a $50.6 million posting fee to the Orix Buffalos. But L.A. will gladly pay the fee to land the right-hander.
Yamamoto’s Contract With the Dodgers Makes History
This contract is the largest guaranteed deal for a pitcher in MLB history, surpassing the contract Gerrit Cole signed with the New York Yankees a few years ago. It is also the largest deal in terms of years for a pitcher, as well.
Yamamoto has never thrown a pitch in the big leagues, but the majority of the industry believes that his stuff will translate over to the league well. The sheer fact that the normally cautious Dodgers were willing to give him this contract shows that they have full belief in his abilities.
L.A. won the Yamamoto sweepstakes by matching a contract offer that Yamamoto received from the New York Mets. He picked the Dodgers over the Mets, despite the deals being identical, showing that he likely wanted to join L.A. all along.
He will now headline the rotation for years to come, and the Dodgers have landed their ace. Alongside Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto gives them a lethal one-two punch at the top of their starting rotation.
A lot of credit needs to go to the Dodgers front office for this signing. They set out to make a splash this offseason and instead created a tidal wave across the league.
Photo Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
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